Taylor Swift: The Public Intellectual

 Taylor Swift: The Public Intellectual

The first person that comes to my mind when I hear the words “public intellectual” is Taylor Swift. I have many different reasons for this, some of which I believe the vast majority of you will agree with, and some are simply because I am biased because she is my favorite artist. When they think of Taylor Swift, some people might think of mega-pop songs which are often annoying. Although this is somewhat true, it is 1% of her music, the one percent that the majority of listeners know. There is still a vast amount of music that she has that most people who aren't “Swifties” have not discovered. Music covering political issues, feminist issues, and so much more. With so many songs in her discography, there is a piece of art for all kinds of people. There are classic country songs, fun and entertaining pop anthems, indie and alternative songs, heartbreak and sad ballads. There are also feminist and empowerment songs, love and romance, coming of age, and so much more. There is something that people from all walks of life can listen to, enjoy, and appreciate. My reasons for labeling Taylor Swift as a public intellectual have been thoroughly thought out and I hope to convey my message throughout this blog post. 

Taylor Swift not only writes fun and entertaining music but she also writes poetry, and deep pieces surrounding feminism, politics, heartbreak, and so much more. With a musical discography of over four hundred songs, Taylor Swift has a large variety of activism in her lyrics. Millions of young girls to adult women look up to her and view her as someone they can look up to. Swift's ability to combine personal motifs of relationship failures combined with a feminist outlook on life makes her a relatable character for many generations. Though she is not everybody's first thought when a public intellectual is mentioned, her ideas of gender inequality, personal empowerment, social injustice, and giving voices to the less successful and those who feel unheard, she is an icon to many. She uses her platform to encourage women to speak out on all of these issues and most importantly campaign for women's rights. Taylor Swift's status as a public intellectual not only relies on her lyrics in her powerful songs but also in her activism on social media platforms and documentaries. I would now like to get into the facts, and prove to my readers that Taylor Swift is as much the public intellectual as I am making her out to be. 

Taylor Swift as Time: Person of the Year in 2023

The biggest way in which Taylor Swift speaks to the public is through her vocalism about feminism. Taylor Swift has openly identified as a feminist over her many years in the music industry, and has openly spoken about it on different platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. She has gone on countless interviews stating that she believes in gender equality and has encouraged people to view feminism in a greater and more positive light. She has made in depth instagram posts speaking out about the gender pay gap and inequality. On top of social media posts, Taylor Swift has a Netflix documentary titled Miss Americana. In this documentary, we see glimpses of Taylor Swift's personal life. We see her experience relationships and heartbreak. The creation of new music for her album, Lover, and even her getting put up for nominations at the Grammys. We get a closer look into her personal life and get to feel more connected with her. One particular segment from this documentary that really put Taylor Swift on the map for being a public intellectual is her political activism. The filming of this took place during the 2018 midterm elections. Up until that point, Taylor has never spoken out about politics. She remained silent in fear of scaring her fans and getting a lot of negative press. She knows that in the past when celebrities have spoken out about politics nobody will be happy because not everyone shares the same views. She was concerned with not upsetting any of her fan base no matter their political opinions. Based on the recent events of Donald Trump becoming president in 2017 Taylor felt that she could no longer remain silent. She was outraged by his stances for a women's right to choose and believed that she had to say something. She made an instagram post supporting the Democratic party in Tennessee for the midterm elections regarding gender inequality, LGBTQ+ rights and women's rights. The documentary highlights her struggle between doing the right thing, and keeping her fans happy. After she spoke out about politics, there were mixed opinions regarding her stance. Some viewers supported her and praised her for doing the right thing and standing up for women. Other people were outraged, believing that she used her platform to influence young voters to vote Democratic. Regardless of the backlash, Taylor Swift's acknowledgment of the pending election increased voter registration by more than double in one day than in one whole month. 

In regards to politics, Taylor Swift recently came forward endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections. She has always been vocal about her disdain for Donald Trump, like many women before her. She made a long and thoughtful post endorsing Kamala Harris and sharing her reasons. The most important value that Kamala Harris stands for during her campaign was the women's right to choose. This is very important to Taylor Swift and her post was very impactful, especially to young first time voters. Reports say that an hour after the post went up, voter registration increased by 1,226%. This is an insane amount of voter registration and only someone with great power and influence would be able to achieve these numbers. 

Taylor Swift's endorsement for Kamala Harris on Instagram

Another important aspect from the Miss Americana documentary that I have previously mentioned is the sexual assault case that Taylor Swift went through. Many years ago a man touched Taylor Swift in an inappropriate way, and there was photo evidence of the moment that it happened at a red carpet. Taylor Swift spoke out about the incident and many people turned on this man. This man sued Taylor Swift for defamation of character after she accused him of groping her. As the strong woman that she is she was not going to stand for this. She countersued him for only one dollar and ended up winning the court case. There is so much symbolism in that one dollar that she won. Taylor Swift described sitting in a courtroom full of men staring at her like she was a liar. When speaking about this in her documentary, she was shedding light on something that so many women go through. Many women have gone to court for their own similar instances and can never win and are never believed. By doing the simple act of countersuing for one dollar Taylor Swift proved to the world that women should be believed and that we should all be able to stand up for what is right and that women's voices are just as valuable as mens. The power that the singular dollar holds is a symbol to women everywhere that they should speak up and tell their stories. In an article, I discovered that Taylor Swift's bravery inspired thousands of women to come forward and take their cases to court. If this does not prove Taylor Swift's positive influence over people regarding social issues thus labeling her a public intellectual then not much else can compare. 

Arguably, one of the most influential and powerful songs that Taylor Swift has written is titled “The Man”. This song alludes to the fact that women who have fame and success are looked down upon and are threatening to men, but when a man has fame and success, the whole world praises him. The lyrics “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wonder if I would get there quicker if I was a man” resonate with me and millions of other women because at some point in our life we have all felt like this. Girls and women have to work harder than men to get to where they are whereas men seemingly can get to the top much easier. I want to break down some of the most important lyrics from “The Man” to show how Taylor Swift uses the power of words to convey important feminist messages. 

Taylor Swift performing “The Man” at The Eras Tour

The song begins with the verse “I would be complex, I would be cool, they’d say I play the field before I found someone to commit to. And that would be play, for me to do. Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you”. In these lyrics, Taylor Swift is setting the scene. She is beginning the song as if she were a man singing. She is saying, if she were a man, then anything that she does would be viewed as powerful and fearless. In the business world, men often play the field both in the business world and with women. Taylor Swift has a reputation for having many boyfriends, and because of this is often seen as unserious and unprofessional. When she says “I would be complex, I would be cool” she is saying that women are expected to be independent and that society will criticize them for being too complex and not independent enough. “They’d say I play the field before I found someone to commit to” refers to being often labeled in a negative light for having romantic, and sexual relationships while men are seen as soft and still in control for having these same relationships. “ Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you” refers to how when men make “sexual” conquests, they are seen as a boss, and better than everyone else in the workplace. But when women have sexual partners they are not taken seriously. Women are shamed for their behavior whereas men are congratulated and patted on the back by their peers. 

The next verse of the song goes, “I'd be a fearless leader, I’d be an alpha type. When everyone believes ya, what's that like?” This phrase is also from the point of view of Taylor Swift as a man. She says that if she were a man, she would be a strong leader and essentially get away with anything and everything that she does no matter the cost of other people. This line also refers to a sexual assault court case that Taylor Swift went through. In 2017 Taylor Swift when through a sexual assault court case, and like so many other women before and after her, she was not believed. She described sitting in a room before a panel full of men and they were all staring at her like she was a liar. She wrote the lyric “when everyone believes ya, what's that like?”. She is referencing the fact that nobody believed her throughout this court case and how hundreds of thousands of women are not believed all of the time. 

The chorus of the song begins with “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I'll get there quicker if I was a man. I’m so sick of them coming at me again” These are very powerful lyrics because they explain how Taylor Swift, and every other woman have to work harder, run faster, and try harder to get to the top to compete with all of the men in the field. Throughout most of her career Taylor Swift has had to jump through so many more hoops than other people in her field. Every step that she takes, the whole world is watching, analyzing. They are waiting to see if she makes a mistake. Each little thing she does is compared to men and judged in a harsh light. 

The lyrics of “The Man” are seen as an inspiration to many young women. It directly addresses the double standard the women face in all aspects of professional and social life. The center of the song, and arguably one of the most important lines that she quotes is, “if I was the man, then I’d be the man”. This quote directly tackles the idea that everything Taylor Swift does would be important and influential… if she was a man. Taylor successfully highlights how women are denied the same liberties as men in the workplace, social life, and relationships. This one particular lyric allows women to feel validating a freeing to know they are not alone. As someone with a huge following and fan base, Tylor Swift is able to reach millions of women all over the world spreading this message and validating their feelings, letting them know that they are not alone. This song gives women a platform to break free from societal norms and allows them to embrace power, confidence and independence. Taylor is spreading the message that women should be empowered to make their own choices and should not let the world's criticism allow them to feel smaller. Taylor Swift understands that women are pressured to feel a certain way and fit into a specific “mold”. By creating this song she is rejecting these societal norms and allowing women to be their own heroes. 

In order to further prove the idea that Taylor Swift is viewed as a public intellectual and is seen as a feminist hero to women of my generation I conducted a series of interviews amongst my peers to get their thoughts on “The Man”. I first talked to my roommate Riley Pease, who is a fan of Taylor Swift as well. She, like me, can appreciate the meaning behind the lyrics. I asked her how the song “The Man” has influenced her and allowed her to see deeper into feminist ideals. Riley told me that when she first heard the song, and still to this day, she feels seen and appreciated. She said that the lyrics to this song give her the confidence to do things like share her opinions in male dominated settings and give her a voice. This song allows young women like me and my friends to be able to find the confidence to step up and be the best person they can be. I interviewed another one of my peers, Charlotte Marsoun. About what the song means to her. This interview went a bit differently, because Charlotte was not previously a Taylor Swift fan. I played the song for her and let her listen to it a few times in order for the message to sink in. Though not a fan of the beat and tune, she really appreciated the lyrics and their meanings. Charlotte told me that she had a strong feeling of validation after listening to the lyrics. She agreed with the idea that women are judged by men and looked down upon. She liked how the lyrics made her feel like she could be unapologetically herself. 

Based on the evidence that I have gathered through analyzing the lyrics to “The Man”, and talking to my peers, I believe that it is a fair assessment to title Taylor Swift a public intellectual. Through her critiques on feminist ideals she is spreading important messages to generations of women. The general definition of a public intellectual is an important figure who uses their knowledge and wisdom to influence and engage others in topics of relevant social issues and injustices. Usually this person of importance has a large platform or following, like Taylor Swift. The large audience that they have allows them to reach diverse platforms. Taylor Swift has a following of 549 million people across all social media platforms. This is one of the largest followings of anyone in the social media presence. The work that she does is very important because of the young impressionable minds that most of her fans have. As a public intellectual, Taylor Swift has taken on the role as an educator and forward thinker. As a long term fan of Taylor Swift, I have seen her use her platform and status of public intellectual for only positive reasons. Through her endorsements of Kamala Harris and the democratic party, to creating music about feminist ideals, and other songs relating to gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights. She has been able to create a platform and following of positive and forward thinkers who can share her word with others who share the same ideas. Taylor Swift has successfully created a positive outlook on feminism. As something that has been so stigmatized for so long and often viewed as a topic that is taboo to talk about around the dinner table, Taylor Swift has been able to create a positive narrative. Though she has done great work regarding this topic, there is still a long way to go. I believe that Taylor Swift will continue to create art and poetry surrounding important topics such as feminism and politics. The more followers that she gets over the years and the more music that she makes regarding these topics the more that the word will be spread and the more people will begin to appreciate how important these social issues are. 

All in all, Taylor Swift has taken on the role of a popular culture icon and transformed it into a powerful and influential position as a feminist and political public intellectual. Through her public statements, music, and public activism she has used her platform to her advantage to transform social norms and challenge traditional ideas that have been in state in our country and society for hundreds of years. She transformed the nearly twenty years of her public music career and used it for the betterment of society. She has given voice to many different groups of individuals and underrepresented communities. She has challenged young women to question societal norms and find their strong voice of reason. I hope that readers of this blog have taken time to consider the power and influence that Taylor Swift holds and uses in a positive light, making herself into the infamous public intellectual that I have pictured and idolized. 

Citations: 

Wilson, Lana. Miss Americana. Netflix, 2020. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/10/us/taylor-swift-endorses-kamala-harris.html

http://www.stephenmack.com/blog/archives/2007/08/religious_intel.html

https://www.goalcast.com/taylor-swift-sued-1-dollar-sexual-harrassment/